U.S. patent number 7,073,259 [Application Number 10/481,317] was granted by the patent office on 2006-07-11 for apparatus and method for manufacturing an automotive beam.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Accra Teknik AB. Invention is credited to Goran Berglund, Mats Lindberg, Anders Sundgren.
United States Patent |
7,073,259 |
Sundgren , et al. |
July 11, 2006 |
Apparatus and method for manufacturing an automotive beam
Abstract
In an apparatus and method for manufacturing an automotive beam
for use as a beam in structural components of automobiles, the beam
is provided with significant improvements in terms of torsional
rigidity and yield strength. The beam improves the overall safety
of passengers and maintains the simplicity of the manufacturing
process. The apparatus (1) for manufacturing roll formed profile
beams comprises a plurality of material dispensers (2,6), a first
set of rollers (5), a second set of rollers (11), a first welding
station (10) mounted between the two sets of rollers (5, 11) and a
second welding station (12) at the outlet of the second set of
rollers (11). The method of manufacturing roll formed profile beams
comprises the steps of roll forming a first profile element
followed by roll forming a second profile element enclosing the
first profile element and forming a closed profile beam having an
internal support structure.
Inventors: |
Sundgren; Anders (Sunderbyn,
SE), Berglund; Goran (Gammelstad, SE),
Lindberg; Mats (Lulea, SE) |
Assignee: |
Accra Teknik AB (Ojebyn,
SE)
|
Family
ID: |
20284592 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/481,317 |
Filed: |
June 3, 2002 |
PCT
Filed: |
June 03, 2002 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/SE02/01055 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
February 25, 2004 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO03/000440 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
January 03, 2003 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20040154158 A1 |
Aug 12, 2004 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jun 21, 2001 [SE] |
|
|
0102240 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
29/897.35;
228/146; 228/150; 228/17.5; 29/779; 29/897.2; 72/369 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21D
5/086 (20130101); B21D 47/01 (20130101); B60R
2019/1813 (20130101); Y10T 29/49622 (20150115); Y10T
29/5136 (20150115); Y10T 29/53348 (20150115); Y10T
29/49634 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B23P
17/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;29/897.2,779,897.35
;228/17,17.5,146,150
;72/166,168,384,379.2,367-372,181-182,171,178 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4438869 |
|
May 1996 |
|
DE |
|
7504120 |
|
Oct 1975 |
|
FR |
|
07-172253 |
|
Jul 1995 |
|
JP |
|
2001-1053 |
|
Jan 2001 |
|
JP |
|
WO 97/30882 |
|
Aug 1997 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
DE 4438869 Derwent English Abstract. 1996. cited by examiner .
Database WPI, Week 2000117, Derwent Publications, Ltd., London, GB;
Q 17 & JP 2001001053 A (Aisin.Seiki KK) Jan. 9, 2001, abstract;
figures 1-4. cited by other.
|
Primary Examiner: Compton; Eric
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Ware, Fressola, Van der Sluys &
Adolphson LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. An apparatus for manufacturing roll formed profile beams
comprising: (a) a first material dispenser for dispensing a first
material; (b) a first set of rollers having an inlet in
communication with the first material dispenser to receive the
first material being dispensed therefrom, the first set of rollers
being adapted to form the first material into a first profile
element having a predefined cross-sectional profile; (c) a second
material dispenser for dispensing a second material adjacent the
first material at an outlet of the first set of rollers; (d) a
first welding station for welding the first material to the second
material adjacent thereto; (e) a second set of rollers for
receiving the welded first and second materials from the first
welding station, the second set of rollers being adapted to form
the second material into a second profile element having a
predefined cross-sectional profile which encloses the first profile
element; and (f) a second welding station in communication with an
outlet of the second set of rollers for welding portions of the
second material together as the welded first and second materials
exit from the outlet of the second set of rollers to form a closed
profile beam.
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material
dispenser is provided by an uncoiler and the first material is a
coil of sheet material carried by the first material dispenser.
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second material
dispenser is provided by an uncoiler and the second material is a
coil of sheet material carried by the second material
dispenser.
4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second material
dispenser is provided by an uncoiler and the second material is a
coil of sheet material carried by the second material
dispenser.
5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second
materials are sheet materials.
6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sheet materials
are high strength steel.
7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the steel is boron
steel.
8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second
materials are made from the same steel.
9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second
materials are manufactured from different steels.
10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sheet materials
have the same thickness.
11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sheet material
has different thicknesses.
12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one of the
sheet materials defines pre-punched apertures at predetermined
locations.
13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sheet materials
define pre-punched apertures at predetermined locations.
14. A method of manufacturing roll formed profile beams comprising
the steps of: roll forming a first sheet material travelling in a
path into a first profile element having a predefined
cross-sectional profile followed by roll forming a second sheet
material travelling in a path into a second profile element having
a predefined cross-sectional profile which encloses the first
profile element to form a closed profile beam.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first profile
element is formed as an internal support profile.
16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first profile
element is a substantially U-shaped profile.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein legs of the
substantially U-shaped profile element include ribs.
18. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein, during roll forming
of the second profile element, a second sheet is roll formed into
the second profile element enclosing the first profile element.
19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, prior to the roll
forming of the second profile element, the first profile element is
welded to the second sheet at a welding station.
20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first profile
element is welded to the second sheet by means of seam welding.
21. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of
welding longitudinal edges of the second profile element together
with a portion of the first profile element thereby enclosing the
first profile element within the second profile element.
22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the longitudinal edges
of the second profile element are laser welded together with the
portion of the first profile element.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for
manufacturing an automotive beam and in particular to an apparatus
and method for roll forming a closed profile beam.
2. Description of the Background Art
Beams used on the body structure of an automobile and beams mounted
at the front and rear of automobiles are required to absorb impact
from collisions with other vehicles and with other objects. Beams
manufactured for these purposes need to have a high resistance to
torsion and good strength characteristics in order to prevent local
buckling of the beam. A number of prior art patent and patent
application specifications have disclosed beams for use in the
automotive industry and apparatuses and methods for manufacturing
such beams.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,544 provides an apparatus and method for
manufacturing automotive bumper beams by a single roll forming
process. The apparatus includes an uncoiler, a straightner, a group
of roll formers, a sweep roll former, a welding member and a
cutting member. The method of manufacturing the bumper beam
includes preparing the sheet metal, forming the cross sectional
profile, forming a sweep, adjusting the tubular cross sectional
shape of the sheet metal and welding the sheet metal prior to
cutting the beam into desired lengths. The objects of the invention
are to provide a beam with strengthened impact resistance, reduced
weight and to simplify the manufacturing processes of the prior
art.
WO 97/30882 (International Patent Application No. PCT/SE97/00305)
discloses a vehicle body comprising a beam structure consisting of
thin-walled flange-free profile parts with closed cross sections
made by means of roll forming. The component parts of the beam
structure are hardened so that the boron steel or other high
tensile steel has a yield limit of the order of 900 1100 MPa. The
object of the invention is to produce a new and lighter type of
vehicle body with an increased body strength and stiffness.
In order to maintain an efficient manufacturing process for beams,
it is important to use a production line technique manufacturing
beams in a relatively small number of steps while maintaining their
structural integrity and safety characteristics. The safety and
structural integrity aspects are particularly important when the
beams are manufactured for use as protective members in an
automobile. Although the techniques disclosed in the above
referenced specifications maintain an efficient manufacturing
process and address the issues of improved strength characteristics
and weight of the beam, significant improvements could still be
made regarding the safety aspects of beams for use in automobiles
which would inevitably result in improvements to human safety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beam for use
in structural components of automobiles with significant
improvements in terms of torsional rigidity and yield strength to
improve the overall safety of passengers travelling in such
automobiles in addition to maintaining the simplicity of the
manufacturing process.
The present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing roll
formed profile beams characterized in that the apparatus comprises
a plurality of material dispensers, a first set of rollers and a
second set of rollers and a first welding station mounted between
and being in communication with the two sets of rollers and a
second welding station in communication with the outlet of the
second set of rollers, wherein one dispenser is in communication
with the inlet of the first set of rollers and another dispenser is
in communication with the inlet of the first welding station.
Preferably, the material dispensers are provided by uncoilers each
carrying a coil of sheet material.
Ideally, the sheets are manufactured from high strength steel.
Steel provides the desired characteristics for beams to be used in
the automotive industry as impact absorbers.
In one embodiment, the sheets are made from the same steel.
In another embodiment, the sheets are manufactured from different
steels. This allows the manufacturer greater flexibility and allows
for the manufacture of beams of different strength characteristics
depending on their specified end-use.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sheet material is boron
steel. Hardened boron steel has a yield limit of the order of 900
1100 MPa and is a particularly suitable for beams used in the
automotive industry.
Although the present invention describes a preferred embodiment
utilizing steel and in particular high strength boron steel, it
will of course be appreciated that other steels or metal alloys
providing desired characteristics regarding torsional rigidity and
strength could also be used.
In one embodiment, the sheets of material have the same
thickness.
In another embodiment, the sheets of material have different
thicknesses. Again this provides flexibility for the manufacturer
and the end user.
In a further aspect of the invention, the sheet material defines
pre-punched apertures at predefined locations. Both sheet materials
or only one sheet may be pre-punched which results in a reduction
of weight to the overall beam structure. Additionally, the
pre-punched holes may act as ventilation for the beam during the
heat treatment procedures.
An apparatus for manufacturing roll formed closed profile beams
comprising a first dispenser carrying a roll of sheet material, a
first group of rollers for forming the sheet into a predefined
profile in communication with both the first dispenser and a first
welding station, a second dispenser carrying a second roll of sheet
material in communication with a first welding station, wherein the
first welding station welds the profile element formed by the first
group of rollers onto a predefined location on the sheet fed from
the second dispenser, a second group of rollers for receiving the
newly welded profile element and sheet from the first welding
station and for forming the sheet around the first formed profile
element by bringing the longitudinal free edges of the sheet to a
meeting point enclosing the first profile element and a second
welding station for welding the longitudinal free edges together
with a surface of the first profile element to form a closed
profile beam having an internal support structure.
The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing roll
formed profile beams characterized in that the method comprises the
steps of roll forming a first profile element 30 followed by roll
forming a second profile element enclosing the first profile
element and forming a closed profile beam having an internal
support structure.
Ideally, the first profile element is formed as an internal support
profile.
In one embodiment, the profile element is substantially U-shaped
having a base and a pair of legs extending substantially
perpendicularly from the base in the same direction as one
another.
In a further embodiment, the legs of the profile element include
ribs. The ribs improve the strength of the profile element.
Ideally, the internal support profile element is welded to a second
sheet material at a welding station.
Preferably, the second sheet material is subsequently roll formed
into a beam enclosing the first profile element.
Ideally, the second profile element is closed around the first
profile element by welding the longitudinal ends of the second
profile element together with a portion of the first profile
element.
Ideally, the first profile element is welded to the second sheet by
means of seam welding.
Preferably, the two longitudinal edges of the second profile
element are laser welded together with a portion of the second
profile element.
A method for forming closed profile beams comprising the steps
of;
dispensing a first sheet from a first dispenser to a first set of
rollers, forming the sheet to a predefined profile and feeding the
profile element to a first welding station, dispensing a second
sheet from a second dispenser to the first welding station, welding
the profile element to the second sheet at the first welding
station, feeding the newly formed sheet and profile element to a
second set of rollers, forming the sheet by bringing the free
longitudinal edges of said sheet to a meeting point thereby
enclosing the first profile element feeding the workpiece to a
second welding station and welding the longitudinal free edges of
the second sheet together with a surface of the first profile
element to form a closed profile beam having an internal support
structure.
The invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example only, one
embodiment of an apparatus and method for manufacturing an
automotive beam in accordance with the invention. In the
drawings:--
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing an elevation view of the
apparatus;
FIG. 2 is an end view of a first profile element in accordance with
the invention;
FIG. 3 is an end view of a second profile element in accordance
with the invention; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic end view of the second roll forming process
step by step.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1 there is shown an
apparatus for manufacturing automotive beams indicated generally by
the reference numeral 1. A first dispenser 2 contains a coil of
sheet material 3 and a first sheet 4 extends from the first
dispenser 2 to a first set of forming rollers 5. A second dispenser
6 contains a second coil of sheet material 7 and a second sheet 8
extends from the second dispenser 6 to a first set of support
rollers 9. A first welding station 10 is located between the first
set of forming rollers 9 and a second set of forming rollers 11. A
second welding station 12 is mounted between the second set of
forming rollers 11 and a second set of support rollers 13. An
induction warming oven containing two separate ovens 14 and 15 is
mounted either side of a third set of support rollers 16 and the
outlet of the separate oven 15 leads to a quenching station 17. A
set of stretching rollers 18 are mounted between the quenching
station 17 and a knife 19, which is the final station in the
production line apparatus 1.
Referring to FIG. 2 there is shown a first profile element
indicated generally by the reference numeral 21. The profile
element 21 is substantially U-shaped having a base 23 and a pair of
legs 24 extending substantially perpendicularly from the base 23 in
the same direction as one another. Each leg 24 terminates with an
integrally formed flange 25, the flanges 25 extending in opposite
directions to each other and in a plane parallel with the base
23.
Referring to FIG. 3, the second profile element 47 is shown having
two parallel sides 51, 52 connected by two sides 53, 54 forming a
tubular closed profile element 47.
In FIG. 4, there is shown a step by step view of the roll forming
process which occurs between the first welding station 10 and the
second welding station 12 (see FIG. 1). Two weld joints 31 are
shown between the flanges 25 of the profile element 21 and the
second sheet 8. A number of stages of the roll forming process from
32, in which the second sheet 8 is in a flat orientation, to 47 in
which the second sheet 8 is formed as a second profile element 47
enclosing the profile 21 are shown. A third weld joint 48 is shown
between the longitudinal edges 49, 50 of the sheet 8 and the base
23 of the profile element 21.
In use, a first sheet 4 extends from a first dispenser 2 to a first
set of rollers 5 which form the sheet 4 to a predefined profile.
The profile element 21 is fed from the first set of rollers 5 to
the first welding station 10. The second sheet of metal 8 is
dispensed from the second dispenser 6 to the first welding station
10 via the first set of support rollers 9. The profile element 21
is welded to the second sheet of metal 8 at the first welding
station 10. The newly combined profile element 21 and sheet 8 is
fed to the second set of rollers 11 which form the sheet 8 by
bringing the free longitudinal edges 49, 50 of the second sheet of
metal 8 to a meeting point thereby enclosing the first profile
element 21. The forming process is completed when the work-piece is
fed to a second welding station 12 and the longitudinal free edges
49, 50 of the second sheet 8 are welded together with the base 23
of the first profile element 21 to form a closed profile beam
having an internal support structure.
It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited
to the specific details as herein described, which are given by way
of example only, and that various alterations and modifications may
be made without departing from the scope of the invention as
defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *